Watch Wharton Adventurers in Action

August 7, 2015

by Wharton Magazine

Wharton alumni are by no means ordinary; they go the extra mile to achieve success. But this ambition isn’t exclusive to their professional careers. We spoke with Wharton alumni who have far-from-ordinary athletic pursuits.

During his time at Wharton, for instance, Neal Mueller C00 WG08 was constantly looking for a challenge like most Whartonites. However, unlike most Whartonites, he tackled great heights such as climbing Mount Rainier. “In many ways I was a better student because of the discipline I learned on the mountain,” he says. “But Wharton taught me how to think conceptually about team dynamics.”

Watch Mueller in the video below during one of his more monumental ascents: to the top of Mount Everest.

Matt Laessig G98 WG98 probably didn’t expect to be a contestant on a competitive TV show while earning his Wharton degree. However, when he went from being a fan of American Ninja Warrior to earning a spot as a contestant, he drew upon his Wharton skill set to market himself to an advantage. “Wharton taught me how to position myself to be an early mover in a trend,” says Laessig, who made it to the regional finals.

Laessig has competed on multiple seasons of American Ninja Warrior , in this case Season 6

Read the full story about these Wharton extreme athletes in Wharton Magazine’s Summer 2015 issue, in “Schooled in Adventure.”